Vending-machine.



No. 764-,011 PATENTED JULY 5, 1904.

F. J. ROWSE.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION PILEDDEG. 21. 1903. NO MODEL. 2 snniz'rs -SHEET 1 PATENTED JULY 5, 1904..

F. J. ROWSE.

VENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21 1903.

z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

\IV/ TA/ESEEE Patented July 5, 1904.

FFICE.

FRANK J. ROVVSE, OF PAWVTUGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,011, dated July 5, 1904.

A h ati n fil d December 21, 1903. Serial No. 185,992. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK J. RowsE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVending-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Like numerals indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved vending-machine. Fig. 2 is a view of the same as seen partly in section and partly in top plan on line (a w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of the said machine as seen partly in side elevation and partly in section on line ;1 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view, partly in front elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical Section, of the main shaft of said machine. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of said main shaft. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are enlarged views in cross-section of said shaft, the coin, and coin-chute when the actuatinglevcr is in the several positions indicated, respectively, by dotted lines in said figures, the

section being on line .2 e of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is a detail view as seen on line 20 w of Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is an isometric view of the case containing the said machine. Fig. 11 is an enlarged view in perspective of the package which said machine is adapted to vend.

My invention relates to the delivery-cabinets of coin-controlled vending-machines; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claims.

A frame, preferably made of sheet metal, comprises the two sides 1, the front 2, and the top 3. On the top of said frame is the magazine-chute 4, having flanges 5, screwed section, there are two of these chutes, constituting the magazine 4, each chute having a solid end and two parallel sides extending at right angles from said end. The ends of the packages 7 enter into the inner open side of each of these chutes.

Upon a shelf or cross-piece 8, which extends between the sides 1, is secured by rivets 9 or otherwise a bearing-plate having the two parallel bent-up ends 10 10'.

The shaft 11 of this machine is separately tive size and location of which are seen in Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8. As the shaft 11 oscillates, the pins 15 15 move in the slots 17 17 and the prong 14 in the slot 18. A crank or handle 19 is mounted on the lug 12 of the shaft 11, and its upward movement is limited by the stop-pin 20 The sleeve or tube 16 extends to the bear ing 10 and through the bearing 10, as seen in Fig. 4, and is provided on its upper surface with an arm 22, having an eye therein. The slotted end of the shaft 11 is loosely mounted in the sleeve or tube 16. A plug 23 is held firmly to the bearing-plate 10 by a screw 24, I

which passes through said bearing-plate into the plug. The inner end of the sleeve or tube 16 is loosely mounted on the plug 23. The plug 23 has a diametrical slot, as seen in Fig. 4. A spiral spring 25 has two hook ends, which enter, respectively, the slot 13 of the shaft 11 andthe slot of the plug 23. If desired, pins 26 27 may be provided to secure said hook ends in said slots, although their mere insertion in said slots will hold them sufliciently in position.

A coin-chute is connected with and supported by the sleeve or tube 16, as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8. This chute has the two parallel plates 28 29 and the two ends 30 31. It also has the slot 32, through which the prong 14 moves as the shaft 11 is oscillated by the handle 19. v

A rod 83 passes through the machine from side to side, on the central part of which rod is mounted a lever or arm 34, fastened in position by asct-screw 35. It has an eye 36. A link 37 has a hook 38, which is inserted into said eye 36, and also a hook 39, which is inserted in the eye of the arm 22 of the sleeve or tube 16.

At each end of the rod 38 is mounted a lever or arm 40, held in position on said red by a set-screw 41. Each lever 40 has at its outer end a transversely-eXtending guideplate 42 at a right angle with said lever and having inwardly-bent flanges or guides 43. On each guide-plate is mounted a slide 44, whose opposite long sides are beveled, so that they extend loosely beneath the flanges or guides 48 of the guide-plate 42. Each slide 44 has a pointed sharpened end 45, as seen in Fig. 2, and is also provided with a cam-pin 46 and a stop-pin 47.

The coin is indicated as 48. In Fig. 8 the coin is shown in its entering position.

The front plate 2 has an upward extension 49, which is provided with a slot 50. At the bottom of the slot 50 is a shelf 51, whose outer edge is upturned, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3. The vended article 7 is delivered through the slot 50 and is then supported upon the shelf 51, as illustrated by dotted lines at 7 in Fig. 1.

Brackets 52, fastened to the side plates 1 by the screws 58, support cam plates 54. These cam-plates 54 are curved concentrically with the rod 83, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, and have beveled cam edges 55, inclined at about forty-five degrees, as seen in Fig. 2. Brackets 56, fastened to the top plate 8 by screws 57, support cam-plates 58. The cam-plates 58 are curved concentrically with the rod 33, as seen in Fig. 1, and have beveled cam edges 59, inclined at about forty-five degrees, as seen in Fig. 2.

The magazine 4 has a delivery-slot at its lower end in front. This apparatus is inclosed in a suitable case or cabinet 21, as illustrated in Fig. 10.

The operation of my improved vending-machine is as follows: The parts of the machine are normally in the relative positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The coin 48 is passed through the slot 61, Fig. 10, and enters the coin-chute 28 29, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The coin 48 drops upon the ends of the pins 15 15 and rests there, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The handle or crank 19 is then moved in the direction indicated by the arrow (0 in Fig. 6, whereupon the point of the prong 14 moves as the shaft 11 is oscillated by the crank 19, as indicated by the arrow 7) in Fig. 7. The result of this movement is that the coin 48 (which at first lay against the plate 29 of the coin-chute, as seen in Fig. 6, at a certain distance away from the plate 28 of said chute) is pressed forward by the point of the prong 14 and is removed from the plate 29 of the coin chute, and now is held forcibly against the plate 28' of said chute. In Fig. 8 is illustrated the position of these parts when the crank 19 has reached the lowest limit of its movement and has begun to ascend, as indicated by the arrow 0. Several results have now been effected. The continued turning of the shaft 11 by the crank 19 has caused the prong 14 to press the coin 48 against the plate 28, and thus the coin-chute 28 29, being connected with the sleeve or tube 16, (which is loosely mounted on the shaft 11,) moves from the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 8 to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure. The ends of the pins 15 15 have been withdrawn from the coin 48, so that they do not support it, but said coin is then held in place simply by the pressure of the prong 14. In the meantime this oscillation of the shaft 11 by the crank 19 has slightly wound the spiral spring 25 and put it under increased tension. As soon as the hand of the operator has relieved the crank 19 from pressure the spring 25 automatically oscillates the shaft 11 in the reverse direction, indicated by the arrow 0 in Fig. 8. The instant the point of the prong 14 is thus removed from the coin 48 and before the ends of the pins 15 15 can return into position to support the coin 48 the coin 48, being then wholly unsupported, drops by its weight, as seen in Fig. 8, and as soon as the bent inner ends of the pins 15 15 come into contact with the upper ends of the slots 17 17 of the tube or sleeve 16 they turn said tube or sleeve 16, and with it the coin-chute 28 29, from the position shown in Fig. 8 in dotted line to the position shown in said figure in solid lines. The downward movement of the crank 19 has not only coiled up the spring 25, and thus increased its tension, but has communicated an oscillatory movement, as already described, to the sleeve or tube 16, and the link 37, drawn down by this movement of the sleeve or tube 16, pulls down the arm 34, and so rocks the shaft 38. The rocking of the shaft 33 moves the levers or arms 40 from the position shown in Fig. 1 in solid lines to the position shown in said figure in dotted lines. The reverse movement of said levers or arms 40 is automatically caused by the force of the spring 25, when the sleeve or tube 16, being relieved from the pressure of the operators hand, moves back to its normal position. Now this upward movement of the levers or arms 40 carries up with them the guide-plates 42, and thus the cam-pins 46 of the slides 44 move in straight lines from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 parallel with the side plates 1; but as soon as the cam-pins 46 come into contact with the beveled cam edges 59 of the cam plates 58 the continued rearward movement of the levers 40 causes the cam-pins 46 of the slides 44 to move along said inclined cam edges 59 of the cam-plates 58, and thus the slides 44 move inwardly along the guide-plates 42 be. tween the flanges or guides 43. In this manner the sharp-pointed ends 45 of the slides 44 move to and penetrate the package 7*, which is lowest in the pile of the packages in the magazine 4, and so seize, engage, and hold said lowest package 7 Then when the pressure of the operators hand is removed from the crank 19 and the spring 25 is free to give the return movement said spring turns back the sleeve or tube 16. The sleeve or tube 16 in thus turning pushes, by means of its arm 22, the link 37, which pushes the arm 34 of the rod 33 in an upward direction, and the rod 33 so rocked reversely moves the levers from the position shown in Fig. 1 in dotted lines'to the position shown in said figure in solid lines, the package 7 a being by this operation removed out of the magazine 4 through the slot 60. Now when the cam-pins 46 move from the position shown in solid lines in Fig; 2 they move straight in directions parallel to the side plate 1 until they come into contact with the inclined cam edges 55 of the cam-plates 54. The continued reverse movement of the levers 40 causes the cam-pins 46 of the slide 44 to move outwardly along the guide-plates 42 between the flanges or guides 43. The outward movement of the slides 44 withdraws the prongs 45 of the slides 44 from the package 7, and thus the package 7 is released and delivered upon the downwardly-curved portion of the top plate 3, whence it slides by its own weight out through the slot of the plate 49 and upon the shelf 51 to the position indicated by dotted lines at 7 b in Fig. 1; but the upturned edge of the shelf 51 prevents said package from fallingoff from said shelf.

If a washer instead of a coin is inserted in the coin-chute, the machine does not operate, because the prong 14 of the shaft 11 enters the hole of the washer andso cannot press the washer against the plate 28 of the coin-chute, and therefore the sleeve or tube 16 is not turned and the levers 40 are not actuated.

IVhen a paper disk instead of a coin is inserted in the coin-chute, the machine is not operated, because the prong 14 penetrates and punctures such disk, and therefore the sleeve or tube 16 is not turned and the levers 40 are not actuated.

The coin mechanism of said device I reserve as the subject-matter of another, application for Letters Patent.

I claim as a novel and .useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to contain a pile of vendible articles, acase,

a rod extending through said case, two levers mounted and fastened at the opposite ends of said rod respectively and provided with means to engage one of said packages and to remove said package from the magazine through said slot, a crank, a shaft rotatable by said crank,

a tube wherein said shaft is mounted, an arm fastened on said rod, an arm fastened on said tube, a link connecting said two arms, and means intermediate said tube and shaft adapt ed to communicate an oscillatory movement from said shaft to said tube, substantially as described.

2. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a d elivery-slot and adapted to contain a pile of vendible packages, a case, a rod extending through said case, two levers mounted and fastened at the opposite ends of said rod respectively and provided with means to engage one of said packages and to remove said package from the magazine through said slot, a crank, a shaft rotatable by said crank, a tube wherein said shaft is mounted, an arm fastened on said rod, an arm fastened on said tube, a link connecting said two arms, means intermediate said tube and shaft adapted to communicate an oscillatory movement from said shaft to said tube in one direction and a spring to give reverse movement to said tube and shaft, substantially as described.

3. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to contain a pile of vendible packages, a case, a rod extending through said case, two levers mounted and fastened at the opposite ends of said rod respectively and provided with means to engage one of said packagesand to remove said package from the magazine through said slot, a tube rotatably mounted in suitable bearings, an arm fastened on said rod, an arm fastened on said tube, a link connecting said two 7 arms, a plug fitting into one end of said tube, a crank, a shaft rotatable by said crank and extending into the other end of said tube, a" spiral spring in said tube one end of which is fastened to the inner end of said shaft and the other end of which is fastened to said plug, and means intermediate said shaft and tube to communicate an oscillatory movement from the shaft to the tube, substantially as described.

4. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to hold vendible packages, two levers, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to both of said levers in unison, a plate at the outer end of each of said levers extending at a right angle therefrom, a pronged slide movable on each of said plates into and out of engagement with one of said packages, and means to move both of said slides together alternately into and out of said engagement, substantially as shown.

5. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to hold vendible packages, two levers, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to both of said levers in unison, a plate at the outer end of each of said levers extending at a right angle therefrom and provided with parallel guideway 's, a slide movable on each of said plates and having beveled edges fitting into said guideways and provided with a prong adapted to engage one of said packages, and means adapted to move both of said slides together into and out of engagement with said package, substantially as described.

6. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to hold vendible packages, two levers, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to both of said levers in unison, a plate at the outer end of each of said levers extending at a right angle therefrom and provided with parallel guideways, a slide movable on each of said plates and having beveled edges fitting into said guideways and provided with a prong adapted to engage one of said packages, a cam-pin upon the top of each slide, two curved cam-plates each having an inwardly-directed cam edge with which the adjacent cam-pin is adapted to contact, said cam-plates being elevated sufficiently to allow said slides and the plates whereon they are mounted to pass freely beneath said cam-plates, and means arranged to give reverse movement automatically to said pronged slides, substantially as specified.

7. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to contain vendible packages, two levers, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to both of said levers in unison, a plate at the outer end of each of said levers extending at a right angle therefrom and provided with parallel guideways, a slide movable on each of said plates and having beveled edges fitting into said guideways and provided with a prong adapted to engage one of said packages, a cam-pin upon the top of each slide, means adapted to move each two slides inwardly so that the prongs thereof engage with one of said packages, and two curved cam-plates each having an inwardly-directed cam edge with which the adjacent cam-pin is adapted to contact, said cam-plates being elevated sufficiently to allow said slides and the plates whereon they are mounted to pass freely beneath said cam-plates and so arranged as to cause automatically said slides to move outwardly and to disengage the prongs thereof from said package, substantially as described.

8. In a vending-machine, the combination of a magazine having a delivery-slot and adapted to contain vendible packages, two levers, means for imparting an oscillatory movement to both of said lovers in unison, a plate at the outer end of each of said levers extending at a right angle therefrom and provided with parallel guideways, a slide movable on each of said plates and having beveled edges fitting into said guideways and provided with a prong adapted to engage one of said packages, a cam-pin upon the top of each slide, two upper curved cam-plates contiguous. to said slot of the magazine and each having an inwardlydirected cam edge with which the adjacent cam-pin is adapted to contact for the purpose of causing the inward movement of said slides to engage one .of said packages, two lower curved cam-plates mounted on brackets from the side of the machine and each having an inwardly-directed cam edge with which the adjacent cam-pin is adapted to contact for the purpose of automatically moving said pronged slides outwardly to disengage said prongs from said package, said two cam-plates being elevated sufficiently to allow said slides and the plates whereon they are mounted to pass fredely beneath them, substantially as specifie In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. ROWSE.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR P. JoHNsoN, WARREN R. Prince. 

